Hugo sohmee



(No Model.)

' H. SOHMER.

PIANO FORTE.

No. 358,946. Patented Mar. 8, 1887.

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L I FI [1 INVENTO}? W BY A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO SOHMER, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

PIANO FO RTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,946, dated March 8, 1887.

Application filed March 5, met.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Hue-o SOHMER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Fortes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in pianos of that class in which auxiliary strings of the same pitch are arranged in connection with'the main strings, so as to vibratein sympathy therewith and serve to re-enforce the tone and sounding quality of the piano; and the invention consists of a piano in which are arranged above the main strings auxiliary tone-re-enforcing strings, which are stretched through lthe same eyes as the main strings, but passed through inclined guideholes above the holes-of the main strings, so as to be raised above the main strings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of a grand piano with my improved auxiliary strings arranged in connection with the treble and middle strings. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 00 m, Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are re spectively a detail side and end View of one of the eyes for supporting the main and auxiliary strings.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of apiano, Bthe sounding-board bridge, and B the main strings, which are stretched in the usual manner across the frame and sounding-board bridge.

The main strings B pass through holes of eyes D, or of a capodastro-bar attached to the frame near the tuning-pins E. Auxiliary reenforcing strings O of the same pitch as the main strings are stretched in the same manner as the main strings 0 across the frame A and sounding-board bridge B, but supported above the main strings, so as not to be struck by the hammers by being passed through upwardlyinclined holes, 61, which are arranged above the holes 12, through which the main strings are passed, as shown in Fig. 2. The relative Serial No. 194,090. (No model.)

position of the holes I) and (Z in the eyes D are clearly shown in detail, Figs. 4 and 5.

The auxiliary strings O are strained on pins e e of the sounding-board bridge B in the same manner as the main strings G, the auxiliary strings converging from the holes d of the eyes Dtoward the main strings as they approach the sounding-board bridge D.

The tuning-pins of the auxiliary strings G are arranged at the same side of the frame A as the tuning-pins of the main string 0, so that the tuning of the main and auxiliary strings is accomplished at the same time and in an easy and convenient manner.

I prefer to arrange one or two auxiliary strings in connection with each treble-string and one auxiliary string in connection with each middle string. The tone of the treble and middle strings is re-enforced by the sounding of the sympathetic auxiliary strings as they are set in motion by the air-waves set up by the vibrations of the main strings when the latter are struck by the hammers. The auxiliary strings 0 increase or re-enforce thereby the tone of the main strings in the wellknown manner by very simple means, so that the expense of the string-frame is but little increased, while the quality of the sound is greatly improved.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- The combination, in a piano, with the main strings stretched in the usual manner, of auxiliary strings stretched above the main strings and eyes th rough which the main and auxiliary strings are passed, said eyes having holes for the main strings and upwardly-inclined holes located above the holes for the main strings for the auxiliary strings, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGO SOI-IMER.

\Vitnesses: I

M. PARPART, WILLIAM DETTENBORN. 

